Times are urgent, let's slow down together

TLDR: The Decelerator and St Sidwells Community Centre are hosting two free, informal breakfasts for anyone working or volunteering in Exeter's voluntary sector, on 22 October and 12 November at St Sidwells. It's a chance to share some food, catch our breath together and spend time with others who know what it's like to be plugging away in charities and nonprofits.

Where's this come from? A few weeks ago The Decelerator got some local voluntary sector folks together to talk about how they're doing and what they need. Over an hour and a half we noticed people talking about how few opportunities there are for people in Exeter's voluntary sector to meet and build relationships. Many of us are busy, stretched and spending much of our working lives on screens or rushing between things, and the chance to meet others doing similar work has become rare.

So we're inviting you to catch your breath, and join us for breakfast. It's a chance to share some food and connect with other people as people, away from our inboxes and to-do lists. We hope you'll leave feeling a little nourished in all the senses. We're hosting two breakfasts: 

1. 22nd October @ 8.30am-9.45am
2. 12th November @ 8.30am-9.45am 

The Decelerator is a national support service for voluntary sector leaders and organisations navigating these uncertain and turbulent times. St Sids is a local community centre doing all sorts of brilliant and important things for our city and its communities. Both our organisations see every day how much it helps to have people around us that we know and trust, especially when things are uncertain. Those connections grow slowly, and they grow most easily around a table with food, less so in rushed meetings with packed agendas or 30 minute meetings on zoom.  

A few things to know...

• These breakfasts are for anyone working or volunteering in charities, CICs, nonprofits or unaffiliated groups of any kind. You can be senior leader, a new recruit, a trustee and or a volunteer. This is not a place where hierarchy matters. 
• There isn't an agenda, hidden or otherwise, at the breakfast or in who we're inviting. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy or be interested in, please come.
• Bring any colleagues or friends working in Exeter's voluntary sector. There's no limit on the kind of organisation people work for or the role they have. If they're doing something (anything!) to make things better around here, they're very welcome.
• Please do come on your own. This will be a friendly mix of people working to make the world a bit better, and nobody will be looking over your shoulder for someone more important to talk to. 
• If you see someone on their own, please help them feel welcome.
• What happens (or doesn't happen) after these first two breakfasts will be shaped by how these breakfasts go.